Marcos: Panay power outage led to P3.8 billion in losses in Iloilo

The power outage in Panay earlier in January caused P3.8 billion worth of economic losses in Iloilo, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Friday.

In a speech during the ceremonial switching on of the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection project in Malacañang, Marcos said the blackout showed the importance of such programs.

''Earlier this month, the Panay Island started the new year with a total blackout for three days, parts of Negros Occidental were under rotational power," Marcos said. 

"The power interruption caused P3.8 billion in economic losses in the province of Iloilo alone, notwithstanding the inconvenience that it brought to the people of Western Visayas,'' he added.

''This incident emphasized that vital role of these interconnection projects. We cannot afford to have another round of this costly interruption, not only in Panay Island but anywhere in the country,'' Marcos said.

Panay experienced a widespread and prolonged power outage early this month after several power plants in the island tripped.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said it monitored the tripping of Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 1 at 12:06 p.m. on January 2, due to an “internal issue.”

The Department of Energy has blamed the NGCP for the latest power disruption in Panay Island.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the NGCP could have prevented the system-wide power shutdown in Panay Island had it proactively dealt with the situation. —NB, GMA Integrated News